Before I share this little moment of clarity in my life, please understand it’s not my intention to label anyone or cause them to feel bad. I’m just venting my personal frustration. We all have unique paths to cross and as a result view things differently. So here goes…. I have never been what you would say “obese.” As I’m 5”7’’ I can weigh a bit much before I start looking pudgy. When women get older though, we slow down and the weight speeds up. My fear was that one day the extra pounds would catch me and squash me! I found myself being 145 lbs. I know…. Nevertheless, you have to understand other than being pregnant; I haven’t weighed that before. So naturally, I became a little concerned. Maybe, I panicked… Ok. Everybody thought I was nuts! A woman at church couldn’t understand my concern; saying,“Oh Mary, for heaven’s sake, I wish I only weighed 145 lbs.” No support!!What’s a girl to do when she is the only one who sees the big picture-this year 145 lbs, next year maybe 165 lbs? How many years did I have before I hit 200 lbs? So as a writer the first thought that hit me was, research. I knew from experience of juggling extra pounds that diets are NOT the way to go. Oh, they all sound good, but every one of them have flaws. I tried the Kellogg’s Special K diet. Yes, it’s easy and yes; it does work-providing that when dinner time comes you can stop yourself from eating the refrigerator. The only problem I found with that diet is a bowl of cereal 2 times a day with a little fruit in between wasn’t real. By dinner time any normal woman is starved or at least thinks she is.On with the search, there has to be a better way. My investigation led me to find out that the FDA reports that women only need 1200 calories a day to be healthy and maintain a normal weight. Hum… I though. How many calories do I consume if I’m not paying attention? Ladies, don’t- I repeat— do not; count the calories that you normally stuff in your mouth unless you have swallowed a nerve pill and sitting down.Does anyone know how many calories are in a McDonald’s Mushroom and Swish Burger? (My favorite) Well, those scrumptious sandwiches have 820 calories, not counting fries. That’s over half of the total calorie amounts that a woman needs. OK, let’s end this because I could go on and on. We could discuss Pizza, (around 550 calories per two slices) which I have to fight tooth and nail not to eat more than two pieces. I finally joined a web site called “My Fitness Pal.com.” It’s easy. You log what you eat every day, and the program counts the calories. When you reach the total calorie consumption, you stop eating. So, off I go. One note about “My Fitness Pal.com” the amount of calories you have each day is determined by your weight and height. As you work with the program the amount of calories you can eat will drop with the pounds. So you may not have to start at 1200 it could be a higher total, but the overall number will eventually drop to 1200 if you stick with the plan and lose the pounds. So every day, I log in what I eat. The food packages have calorie serving guides to tell you how much to eat and how many calories you’re getting. The Internet helps with the caloric account of other foods. Sure, they’re days you may over eat but try to be diligent. Sometimes, I fall off the wagon. I try not to, at least-not very often. This weight loss site has really helped keep me on track. Outside of the Fitness Pal, I have also cut my sugar and bread intake. No, I’m not a phonic about staying away from them, but I have curbed the amount I eat. I now use Stevia to sweeten my tea. Stevia Extract is a natural sweetener; it doesn’t have chemicals like some of the other products. Final results with my struggle (yes, it’s a struggle at first.) I have lost down to 125 lbs. With this program, you don’t have to exercise, even though it’s smart to have a daily fitness routine (I’ve been called a lot of things- smart isn’t on the list). The key is to decide that once you have eaten the 1200 calories you will quit for the day. If you want a bowl of ice cream (130 calories in a ½ cup serving) and don’t have 130 extra calories-then promise yourself you will eat it tomorrow. Believe me, you won’t starve. How many times did I go to bed longing for that bowl of ice-cream? Don’t ask! now though I’m glad I stuck it out. After a while, you get used to counting calories so it gets easier. Honestly, they're times when I splurge and get my Mushroom and Swiss, but for the most I stick close to the required 1200 calories. I have been logging in my calories at “My Fitness Pal.com for almost eight months now, so watching my calories has become second nature to me. When I’m out at a function, I find myself mentally tallying food before I eat, so I can stick close to the FDA regulated caloric intake. The fun has been shopping. I still have trouble believing I can now wear a size eight when I once wore a twelve. I like it, and I’ll stick to it. With the Lord’s help, will find the strength to accomplish the possible. Jesus said unto him, if you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes. Mark 9:23(KJV)